Man charged with murder in McHenry County cold case

17-year-old Brian Carrick disappeared from grocery in 2002

body never found

The father of a teenager who vanished in McHenry County more than seven years ago said he always knew someone would be charged in his son's murder.

That day came Friday, when authorities called William Carrick of Johnsburg to say they had arrested a man in the 2002 death of Carrick's 17-year-old son, Brian, in what had been one of the county's most infamous cold cases.

Mario Casciaro, 26, of the 2700 block of North Patricia Lane in McHenry, was taken into custody in Fox Lake on Friday and was being held in lieu of $5 million bail, McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi announced.

Brian Carrick vanished on Dec. 20, 2002, from the Johnsburg grocery store where he worked. His body was never found.

"I knew it was going to happen eventually; I had a gut feeling from Day One that someone, somewhere, somehow … ," William Carrick said Friday. "I just didn't think it would take this long."

A grand jury on Thursday indicted Casciaro on charges of first-degree murder and concealing a homicide, officials said. The indictment states that Carrick was struck in the head.

William Carrick said he knows that he and his family, which includes Brian's 13 siblings, now likely face a long series of court appearances and a trial, but he said he's ready. His only regret is that his wife of 37 years, Terry, didn't live to see it. She died of cancer in November.

"What my wife would say? Boy, oh boy. ... She is watching from the balcony I'm sure. She knows what's going on; she probably had a hand in this," Carrick said.

Casciaro had earlier been tried for perjury on charges of lying to a grand jury investigating the case, but was acquitted.

Johnsburg police Sgt. Keith VonAllmen said Fox Lake police recognized Casciaro, for whom they knew there was an arrest warrant, riding in a car Friday. Police pulled the car over and then summoned VonAllmen and an FBI agent, who took Casciaro into custody at about 4:30 p.m.

The family credits the Johnsburg Police Department and Bianchi's office for not giving up on the case.